The uniformed leaders of the U.S. military believe they have persuaded the Pentagon's civilian leadership to put off an invasion of Iraq until next year at the earliest and perhaps not to do it at all, according to senior Pentagon officials.

Tommy Franks told the president that invading Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein would require at least 200,000 troops ... The administration is focusing more on undermining Hussein through covert intelligence operations ... The Pentagon debate is only part of a larger discussion of Iraq that also involves the White House, the State Department and the CIA, among others.

One top general said the "Iraq hysteria" he detected last winter in some senior Bush administration officials has been diffused. ...